Home Secretary Shabana Mahmood has unveiled Labour's proposed Immigration and Asylum Bill, prompting criticism from refugee charities and senior Labour figures over plans to tighten parts of the UK's asylum system. Among the proposals is a means-tested scheme requiring some recognised refugees to repay up to £10,000 ($13,242) for state-funded accommodation before becoming eligible for settled status.
The proposals have also exposed differences within Labour over immigration policy, with Greater Manchester Mayor Andy Burnham continuing to advocate a more locally led approach to asylum dispersal. Burnham has called for local authorities to play a larger role in refugee resettlement while criticising the concentration of asylum accommodation in lower-income communities.
